Last year was a roller coaster.
After a year of some form of sequester, we ventured out into a sometimes-unrecognizable place, taking stock of what was lost and what was left and discovering there were many more barriers to common conversation than once believed. Beyond an atmosphere rife with political animus, the constantly shifting landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic, the no-longer-seasonal fires, floods and freezing temps, and the onset of “The Great Resignation,” we confronted the question: where do we go from here? Where is here?
If 2020 was a year of disruption, 2021 may have felt like an odyssey.
Needing to Be Connected
Even as the pandemic continued to ebb and flow, we maintained a philosophy of doing whatever was needed, according to the protocols and resources within the counties we operate, to stay connected and provide quality services. This meant holding virtual open houses, trainings, and psychoeducational sessions, and improving the access to telehealth service when necessary. We also held virtual program graduations, where participants expressed how highly inspired and hopeful they were while discussing their success after long struggles with mental illness.
But it also meant continuing, and in some cases increasing, our in-person services whenever possible by implementing safety protocols to ensure the safety of our staff, program participants and their families, and our communities. This allowed us to develop numerous ways to reduce the social isolation experienced by older adults by connecting clients to our Senior Companions and Community Liaisons to check in on them, and in some cases getting them set up with internet access for the first time.
Young Adult Court (YAC) Graduations
Felton Insitute's Young Adult Court (YAC) program meets the unique needs of transitional-age youth (TAY) ages 18-25 and helps them onto a positive developmental pathway into adulthood and ending the cycle of incarceration and poverty.
“All of you have talked about choosing a healthier community of people to spend time with. Making better choices and thinking about where you are today, where you were, and more importantly, where you want to be tomorrow.”
- Judge Bruce Chan
Education and Employment
For many, mental health and well-being meant getting into the job market for the first time or re-entering it after a period of absence. Our programs had more than 85% of participants engaged in employment and education services, successfully employed, or enrolled in school by the final quarter last year. Adults 55 and older, who wanted to continue being a part of the workforce, were also able to secure permanent jobs, even during the pandemic.
Our programs had become so successful, we were recognized by The National Council on Aging as being one of the top two programs in their portfolio for finding clients jobs. Adding to that, researchers from UCLA were sent by the California Department of Health Services (DHCS) for a peer review of our early psychosis programs with favorable results!
We’ve been able to continue the training format we began in 2020, leading 50 class presentations across multiple programs and resulting in upwards of 980 participants receiving education on Felton’s practices and innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of the past two years.
Housing and Human rights
Even as housing remained an enormous challenge for the Bay Area, we made strides towards providing safe and accessible options for those experiencing homelessness. Assisting 80 older adults in transitioning from “Shelter-in-Place hotels” to permanent subsidized market-rate housing around San Francisco with our Flexible Subsidy Housing Program.
For adults in long-term care facilities, we continued to look out for their right to safety and security during a time when the tendency was to overlook this community.
In the spring of 2021, advocates for long-term care residents gathered with placards in front of the San Francisco Department of Health, calling on the resumption of in-person visits at care homes.
Felton Institute's Julie Schnieder, MSW who is a Field Service Coordinator for the San Francisco Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program says the rally was part of a nation-wide campaign called “Isolation Kills". The campaign marked the full year of extreme visitation rights in long-term care facilities.
"The work that all of you do is so important. People have been so isolated this year. Having someone to listen to them makes such a big difference."
- Julie Schneider, Field Service Volunteer Coordinator
Looking Ahead in 2022
The new year presents its own challenges, but it comes with so much promise. As we move into a third year of the pandemic, some of our most important work has been, and continues to be, keeping our most vulnerable clients safe from COVID-19. We continue to provide mental health services for older adults, while also assisting them with access to vaccinations & boosters and helping them keep their essential medical appointments safely.
We’re also eager to change the landscape of early care and education with the addition of a brand-new learning center to the Felton family. As well as, expanding partnerships that will allow us to positively impact so many communities across the Bay.
